7 October 2013

Vote now or forever hold your peace

With local government elections closing this week, Federated Farmers is urging farmers to make the most of their democratic right.

“You only get this opportunity every three years and it should be used wisely,” says Katie Milne, Federated Farmers Local Government Spokesperson.

“We spend so much of our time arguing with councils over rates and plans, but now is the time where we can be proactive about what we want from our local bodies.

“There is a wealth of resources available because of our financial input into local government and it would be foolish to not cash in on that compulsory investment.

“Farmers should be looking into the candidates who are standing and finding out who best represents their needs and values in the community.

”These people, whether you choose to be involved in the process or not, are going to be making decisions on our behalf. They are the ones who will be shaping the community’s future; we should all want to make sure that person has our best interests at heart.

“As farmers we pay the majority of rates in rural areas; whilst this doesn’t mean we get a bigger vote it does mean we should be making sure we are heard. That’s why 12noon on Saturday should be in all farmers’ diaries,” concluded Ms Milne.

ENDS

NB: For people who are posting their votes, they need to be posted by Wednesday at the latest to ensure they get in on time.

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